Opening weekend of deer hunting came and went with nary a shot fired from my rifle, a Savage American Classic in .308 Winchester, or either of my handguns, a vintage Model 57 S&W in .41 Magnum and my Ruger MKIV in .22 Long Rifle.
Monolithic copper bullets offer hunters a lead-free alternative to more traditional rounds. Here we'll examine how these projectiles work, as well as their performance in the field.
Lead-free bullets and accuracy
Q: Will my .243 Win rifle shoot lead-free bullets accurately if lead is banned?
A: Accuracy and terminal ballistic issues from switching to lead-free bullets, and the implications to shooters here in Britain, are posing a problem.
It is important to understand that lead-free bullets have characteristics that will influence how well your rifle will shoot them.
Weight for weight, a lead-free bullet of the same weight and calibre will be longer because copper (lead-free) is lighter than lead. This means rifle barrels need a faster twist rate to stabilise these bullets. Your rifle, while accurate with a lead-cored bullet, may not stabilise a lead-free one.